Fee-Only Fiduciary Commitment
We founded our firm based on this core principle.
Staying True to a Fee-Only Fiduciary Model
Since our founding in 1989, HB Wealth has operated as a fee-only fiduciary. That means we’re paid by one party only: our client. No commissions. No product pushing. No behind-the-scenes referral fees. Unlike firms that moonlight as banks or insurance brokers, we are focused on one thing only: delivering comprehensive wealth advice built for you. We are fully transparent, fiercely objective, and dedicated to acting in your best interest.
Truly Fee-Only
No commissions, incentives, or product pushing—ever.
Fiduciary Standard, Always
We act in your best interest, not ours.
Transparent and Aligned
Clear, fair fees, with no hidden agendas or cross-selling.
Client-First Since 1989
A legacy of trust and service, not transactions.
What is a Fee-Only Fiduciary?
A fee-only fiduciary advisor is compensated directly by clients rather than through commissions on financial products. At HB Wealth, this means advisors are paid only for providing advice. There are no commissions and no hidden fees. Fiduciary duty also carries a legal and ethical obligation to place the client’s interests first when providing advice.
Why Fee-Only Matters: A Model Built Entirely Around You
While many financial firms claim independence or fiduciary duty, their revenue models often tell another story. Since 1989, we’ve operated as a fee-only fiduciary, committed to a transparent service model that helps keep us aligned with your best interests, not someone else’s bottom line.
No Hidden Compensation
Because we are not compensated based on your investment choices or product selections, our advice is focused on your best interests.
No Cross-Selling Conflicts
Some advisors operate under the guise of independence while referring clients to in-house mortgage, tax, or insurance businesses. We believe that creates unnecessary conflict, so we don’t do it.
Fee-Only, Not Fee-Based
Many firms use confusing language. “Fee-based” means they might charge you a fee and earn commissions. We are fee-only, paid only by our clients, directly and transparently.
Aligned Incentives
Because we don’t financially benefit from your investment choices or product selections, we can give advice based purely on what’s best for you.
Real Fiduciary Duty
Our advisors are fiduciaries in all situations. That means they have an obligation to uphold your interests, always.
Clarity on Services and Costs
We are committed to transparency when it comes to our service levels and costs. You will always know what you’re paying.
No Product Pushing
We’re not here to sell you insurance, mortgages, or proprietary products. We’re here to advise and guide you.
Client-First Culture Since 1989
We built HB Wealth to serve individuals and families like yours with integrity, transparency, and a deep personal commitment.
Our Services
Wealth Advisory Services
Integrated financial planning and advice designed to help you protect, grow, and manage your wealth.
Investment Management
Personalized portfolios built to target risk adjusted returns aligned with your goals.
Family Office Services
A comprehensive range of services tailored to help select families manage wealth across generations.
Service Levels & Costs
A transparent, fee-only cost structure with three levels of service to align with your needs.
What Is a Fee-Only Financial Advisor?
The definition of a fee‑only financial advisor can be confusing. The term is widely used in the financial services industry and is often misunderstood. National professional associations have focused on clarifying the fee‑only model, and it has become more common since HB Wealth was founded in 1989, particularly among firms that offer comprehensive financial planning.
A fee‑only financial advisor is compensated solely by their clients. Advisors operating under this model do not receive commissions or compensation tied to investment products. This structure is intended to align the advisor's advice with the client's financial goals. For many clients, understanding how an advisor is paid is an important part of building confidence in the planning relationship.
Some firms, including banks or brokerage firms, may use the term fee‑based, which can create confusion. While a firm may charge fees for certain services, additional compensation may still exist. For this reason, understanding advisor compensation and accountability remains an important consideration when evaluating financial advice.
At HB Wealth, the fee‑only model supports our commitment to a fiduciary standard, elevated. Our approach is built on ten principles that guide how we serve our clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fiduciary is a legal term defined by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and regulated by the SEC that simply means always acting in the best interest of our clients when we offer financial advice. We believe in sitting on the same side of the table with you and operating in your best interest at all times.
Fee-only means that we are only paid by our clients for our financial advice – we do not have a mortgage, insurance, banking, or accounting business. We also do not accept referral payments from CPAs, attorneys, or insurance agents. This is, in our opinion, the right way to operate.
Fee-only financial advisors are paid only directly by the client for their advice via the one clear fee charged to them directly, with no other sources of revenue coming from conflicting sources. Fee-based advisors may charge a fee directly to the clients, but then also make money in other ways that are less transparent or less attractive in terms of potential conflicts. This may include selling other financial services to you as the client (e.g. insurance, tax preparation, legal work, mortgages, banking, etc.) or it may involve earning extra money based on the investment decisions made by the client (e.g. incentive fees for a private fund, placement fees, 12b-1 mutual fund fees, etc.). Many brokers may be quick to mention that they do not earn stock commissions on trades, but not be as quick to mention the other ways they might get paid based on your relationship that have nothing to do with stock commissions. We believe that your goal should be for your financial advisor to only be paid directly by you in a transparent simple approach that is not connected to how you invest, what financial services you need, or which other financial services you choose to use.
Knowing what services you are receiving, whether investment advice, investment management, retirement planning, tax planning, financial planning, etc., and the fees associated with those services are an important factor when working with a financial advisor. A financial planner should not make this difficult, dance around the topic, have hidden charges, or have an obvious conflict of interest due to a product offering. As fee-only advisors with a fiduciary responsibility, HB Wealth built our approach to give you full transparency regarding fees. We want to provide comfort to our clients that they are receiving a client service experience in order to accomplish their goals of having comprehensive financial planning for their family and future generations – not to drive extra fees for our firm. Our fee-only approach reduces conflict with our clients and helps to ensure our financial advisors are acting as a fiduciary for you every day. Our number one priority is you and your family, and we built our wealth management model around that goal. If you believe you want your advisor more on the same side of the table with you instead of focusing on selling you products, we believe HB Wealth could be the right fit for your family.
Banks and brokerages often have complex compensation systems that you may not fully understand where your advisor may be paid extra money to recommend certain funds or investments (or loans or insurance or other financial products). Even some of our fellow RIAs (registered investment advisers) claim to be fiduciary independent advisors but then happen to have an insurance business or accounting business or mortgage business that creates a conflict of interest that we feel is unnecessary.